Shahidul taken back to DB office from BSMMU

08 Aug,2018

BDchronicle:

Detained acclaimed photographer, writer and rights activist Shahidul Alam was taken back to the headquarters of the Detective Branch of police Wednesday afternoon after his medical examinations at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital.

He was taken to the hospital at 8:45am on Wednesday and taken back at about 2:00pm, said the hospital director Brigadier General Abdullah Al Harun.He said that the hospital conducted Shahidul Alam’s medical examination as per a High Court order passed on Tuesday asking the government and the inspector general of police to immediately ensure his health examination and treatment, following a writ petition filed by his family.The government on Wednesday petitioned the Appellate Division for permission to appeal against the High Court order and for staying the order that also asked the government and the police to submit a report to it on Thursday about Shahidul Alam’s health condition after his health check-up and treatment by university doctors.After a brief hearing, Appellate Division judge in chamber Justice Hasan Foez Siddique posted for today a full court hearing on the matter.Lawyer Sara Hossain with her senior Shahdeen Malik argued that there was no efficacy of the government petition as Shahidul Alam’s medical check-up had already been conducted complying with the High Court order issued on Tuesday.Attorney general Mahbubey Alam argued that the metropolitan magistrate remanded Shahidul Alam in police custody for interrogation being satisfied that he was not torture in police custody as he alleged.The government petition stated that the High Court order ‘clearly shows non-application of judicial mind’ having failed to appreciate that Shahidul Alam on ‘his Facebook live made several defamatory comments against the government instigating social unrest when students were demonstrating on the road for road safety’.It said that Shahidul Alam was being interrogated by police following the order of the magistrate as a specific criminal case was filed against him under Section 57 of the Information Communication Technology Act for making comments on his Facebook posts spreading and supporting a rumour that two students were killed during the student protests.It also said that Shahidul Alam tarnished government’s image by making derogatory statements against the government in an interview with Al-Jazzera television. Emerging from the court, the attorney general told reporters that Shahidul Alam committed sedition by making the statements against the government in the foreign television.On Tuesday the High Court bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir ordered Shahidul Alam’s treatment after hearing a writ petition filed by his partner Rahnuma Ahmed, challenging Shahidul’s remand and torture in custody of the Detective Branch of police.A medical board, formed with doctors of medicine, orthopaedic, surgery and cardiology to treat Shahidul Alam, found him in ‘satisfactorily good health’ after examination, BSMMU hospital director Abdullah told the Bdchronicle.

‘The visible health condition of Shahidul Alam did not require admission to the hospital,’ he added.The award winning photographer told a metropolitan magistrate’s court on Monday that he bled as he was tortured at police custody and his blood stained clothes were washed before he was produced before the court.Asked if there was any mark of torture on Shahidul’s body, the hospital director said, ‘We did not find anything unusual.’He said, ‘We will submit the report of his medical examinations to the court on Thursday.’